Australia
Education System
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
ELICOS
What is It?
Australia offers a wide range of ELICOS courses designed to meet the varying needs of students with different reasons for learning English. Full-time ELICOS courses tend to have these features:
- Their duration generally ranges from four to 48 weeks,
- They are taught at all levels of proficiency from beginners to advance.
- They comprise of at least 20 hours of study each week.
- They usually have flexible commencement dates, so students can enroll at any time during the year.
Often ELICOS courses are taken in sequence with formal courses of study in other sectors. They are packaged together with one or more courses. Sometimes these further courses are offered at the same institution.
Categories of English
There are five major categories of English language courses generally offered in Australia to international students:
- General English
- English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
- Secondary School Preparation
- Examination Preparation
- English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
Those international students who doesn’t meet the language proficiency requirement by mimimum score often needs to persure the degree starting from the English for Academic Purpose.
Vocational Education & Training
Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector offers a large variety of qualifications for students with a strong practical orientation.
VET students are typically:
- Schools leavers seeking to acquire practical skills for work
- School leavers seeking an alternative pathway to university
- Workers who are seeking to further develop their career skills
- University graduates who need to acquire practical skills for the work
- Those simply wishing to develop their personal interests
University Education
Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector offers a large variety of qualifications for students with a strong practical orientation.
VET students are typically:
- Schools leavers seeking to acquire practical skills for work
- School leavers seeking an alternative pathway to university
- Workers who are seeking to further develop their career skills
- University graduates who need to acquire practical skills for the work
- Those simply wishing to develop their personal interests
Accommodation
Temporary Accommodations
When you first arrive on campus, you need a place to live before getting permanent accommodation.
Many schools will provide temporary housing for international students who arrive before the semester begins. Ask the foreign student advisor or housing office for information about temporary housing.
Another option if you know a student at the school is to ask them to let you stay with them for a few days. New graduate students can often find someone in their department with room for a temporary guest. Most major cities have a Council for International Visitors or similar organization to help incoming international visitors. Hostels are a good place to stay for a few days while you look for a permanent place to live. They provide dormitory style accommodations, sometimes with bunk beds in large rooms. Payments must be made in advance.
Permanent Accommodations
Permanent Accommodations include renting an apartment, renting a house, or buying a house. Most international students cannot afford to buy a house. But, most university students in the US live on or near campus. Students who live off-campus generally find a place less than a mile or two away. . If the school offers on-campus accommodations for international students, you should seriously consider living on-campus, at least for the first year. Since this is probably your first trip to the United States and your first time living alone, on-campus housing will help soften the transition to life in the United States. Later, when you are more familiar with the neighborhood, you can consider moving off-campus.